Dead to the Last Drop (48 page)

Chopped Pecans:
Luther’s bars use coarsely chopped pecans instead of whole halves like many other recipes. The reason is simple: chopping the nuts allows more surface area to be exposed to the hot sugar, thus creating more caramelization per centimeter. Technically speaking, this produces more yums per inch of bar.

Combo of Dark Corn and Maple Syrups:
Maple syrup gives a beautiful flavor to pecan pie and some bakers use it instead of corn syrup. Luther splits the difference for two reasons: Maple syrup can be pricey. But that’s not the only reason. The earthy flavor of dark corn syrup (or old-school cane sugar syrup) is such a classic flavor in pecan pie that leaving it out would be, well, just wrong. So Luther’s recipe uses half maple and a small amount of dark corn syrup for economy but also for traditional flavor.

Troubleshooting:
Yes, you can find recipes that are short and sweet, 100 words and you’re done. But they won’t give you tips to prevent disaster. Luther’s little reminders in the recipe will help you achieve a nearly perfect end product.

To see step-by-step photos of this recipe, stop by Cleo’s online home: coffeehousemystery.com.

For the press-in cream cheese crust

½ cup butter (1 stick), softened

¾ cup cream cheese, softened

½ cup white, granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon table salt (or ½ teaspoon kosher salt)

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg white (save the yolk for the filling)

For the whisk-together pecan pie filling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup white, granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon table salt (or 1½ teaspoons kosher salt)

2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk (save white for crust)

1¾ cups coarsely chopped pecans (measure after chopping)

Step 1—Prep pan:
In your 9-by-13-inch baking pan, create a sling out of parchment paper so you can remove the slab of pecan pie and cut it into bars. (Tips: If you butter or spray the pan first, it will act like glue to keep the parchment neatly in place. Luther also suggests lightly buttering the paper or coating with nonstick spray.)

Step 2—Make the easy press-in crust:
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer. Add the flour. Blend until the dough makes coarse crumbs.

Pour these crumbs into the pan and press it evenly along the bottom and
up the sides of the pan
at least half an inch. This crust edge will prevent the loose filling from spilling beneath the crust and ruining the bars. Here are a few more helpful tips to create perfect bars.

Tips for perfect press-in crusts:
Cover the crumbly dough with plastic and use the side of a glass to roll the dough into an even layer. Use the bottom of the glass to press the corners into a smooth crust.

Once again: Make absolutely sure you press the crust at least half an inch up the sides of the pan. This is important because it will keep the filling from spilling over the edge, which will ruin the bars. You can flute the edge or use a fork. This is not necessary. Whatever you prefer is fine.
Re-cover with plastic wrap and put the pan in the fridge and chill it for 30 minutes.
This is very important to getting good results. The chilled dough going into the hot oven will make a flakier, more tender and delicious crust. Now preheat oven to 375°F. You want a nice hot oven and a 30-minute preheating time will ensure the temperature is hot enough.

Step 3—Make easy filling:
While your crust is chilling, place a
large
saucepan on the stove. Over low heat, melt the butter and remove from heat. Stir in maple and dark corn syrups. Then add the cornstarch and whisk until fully dissolved (no clumps). Add the 2 sugars; vanilla; and salt. Fork-whisk the eggs separately and stir them in. Finally fold in your chopped pecans and coat well. Set aside.

Step 4—Prep crust and bake:
Take the chilled crust from the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap. Prick the crust all over with fork tines to prevent it from rising up during baking. Create an egg white wash by whisking the egg white with a few drops of water. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the bottom and sides of the crust. You are creating a barrier between the crisp crust and wet filling. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes in your
well-preheated
375°F oven. The crust will turn a light golden brown. When you first pull it out of the oven, you may see areas that are puffed. That’s okay. Allow it to sit a few minutes and the crust will settle back down.

Step 5—Final bake:
While the crust is still warm,
slowly and carefully
pour on the filling; you can even ladle it on to make sure that none of it sloshes over the crust edges and beneath the crust, which will ruin the bars. If you’re afraid the pan is getting too full, simply hold back a bit of the filling. It
should
all fit
if
you followed the directions and pressed the crust at least half an inch up the sides of the pan. No matter what, keep every bit of that loose filling inside the crust’s edges! Return the pan to your 375°F oven. See bake time in next step . . .

Step 6—Baking time notes:
To prevent the ends from overbaking and the middle from underbaking, place foil loosely over the top of the pan after the first 10 minutes of baking. Carefully rotate the pan (don’t spill the filling), and bake another 15 to 20 minutes—for a total of 25 to 30 minutes’ baking time. You are watching for the top of the filling to set. There should be no liquid-looking areas. When you gently shake the pan, some
areas may be
slightly
jiggly. If the tops of those areas are set (no longer liquid), then you can bring the pan out of the oven. Otherwise, bake 5 minutes more and check again. Remember that after the bars come out of the oven, they will continue to cook in the hot pan (so don’t overcook the bars
in
the oven)!

After removing the pan from the oven, allow the pecan pie bars to sit in the hot pan, undisturbed for 1 hour. The bars
must cool off completely
before cutting. Luther advises slipping the pan into the fridge for an hour. Then carefully use the handles of the parchment paper to lift the slab of pecan pie out, cut into bars, take a bite, and you will be in buttery-sweet pecan heaven!

Luther’s New Orleans–Style Beignets

Makes about 18 to 20 beignets

¾ cup lukewarm water

¼ cup granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons RapidRise active dry yeast (a little more than half of a ¼-ounce envelope)

1 extra-large egg, slightly beaten

1 small (5-ounce) can of evaporated milk (a little more than ½ cup)

2 tablespoons canola, vegetable, or another neutral-tasting oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)

3½ cups bread flour

A little extra bread flour for dusting and rolling

Nonstick cooking spray

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

1½ cups powdered sugar (approximately) for coating beignets

Step 1—Make the yeast mixture
: Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a container. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. The mixture should appear active and produce foam. If not, the yeast is dead. Trash the mixture and begin again with fresher yeast.

Step 2—Create a batter:
In a large mixing bowl, fork-whisk the egg. Whisk in the evaporated milk, oil, and salt. Pour the yeast mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk in 1 cup of the flour until dissolved. Continue to add flour, stirring as you add. Flour your hands and knead the dough within the bowl until smooth. Remove the dough. Clean the bowl, lightly grease it with oil or coat with nonstick spray. Place the dough back into the bowl and place the bowl inside a plastic shopping bag (that’s the very best method for rising dough—or you can cover the top with a small towel). Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Step 3—Roll:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough a thickness of about ¼ inch. Cut into squares—traditionally 1-by-1-inch in size, but you can make them smaller or larger, your choice. If not using a fryer, pour oil (about an inch in depth) into a skillet or cast-iron pan. Preheat the oil to 350°F—the oil must be
very hot
and remain hot (don’t crowd the pan) or you will end up with greasy, unappealing beignets.

Step 4—Fry:
Deep-fry. As you see the beignets rise and puff up, flip them over. Look for a golden brown color on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain well on paper towels. While still warm, dust generously on both sides with powdered sugar and serve.

Luther’s Black Magic Cake

While Hershey’s created the original recipe, Chef Luther Bell worked his own culinary magic to boost this classic cake’s texture and flavor. Now he’ll share his secrets with you. First, Luther exchanged half the original recipe’s oil for melted butter, which gives a richer texture and flavor to the cake. Why not use all butter? Because that bit of oil helps prolong the cake’s shelf life, keeping it moist for a longer period of time. Next, notice how Luther improves the chocolate flavor of the cake by “blooming” the cocoa in the hot coffee before mixing it with other ingredients. Luther also uses dark brown sugar for a more sultry result. Finally, Luther melts a bit of bittersweet chocolate with the butter (read more about bittersweet chocolate below). The result is a cake with a richer texture and deeper chocolate taste than the original. And now, here is the very cake Detective Mike Quinn—along with the customers of the Village Blend, DC—raved about: Luther’s own version of the classic Black Magic Cake.

Makes 2 cake layers for 8- or 9-inch pans

1 cup espresso or strong brewed coffee

¾ cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate*

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see note below**)

¼ cup vegetable or canola oil

1½ cups granulated, white sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

*Bittersweet chocolate
is a dark chocolate that is not as sweet as semisweet chocolate but has some sugar and other ingredients added, so it’s not as harsh as unsweetened chocolate and it’s often easier to melt. Look for a good quality bar of 60% to 70% cacao, make sure it’s fresh by checking the expiration date, and bake with joy!

**Sour milk
can be used as a substitute for buttermilk. To make it, simply combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup.

Step 1—Prep pan and “bloom” the cocoa:
First preheat your oven to 350°F. Next brew up some hot coffee or espresso. Measure out 1 cup and stir your ¾ cup cocoa into it. You are blooming the cocoa for better flavor. Set it aside while you prepare two 8-inch or 9-inch, round baking pans by lightly coating with non-stick spray or buttering them and placing a round of parchment paper on the bottom of each. This parchment paper will
give you foolproof results, so don’t skip it. After the paper is in place, lightly spray or butter the paper.

Step 2—Melt the chocolate:
Using your microwave (or a double boiler), melt your 2 ounces of chopped block chocolate with your 4 tablespoons of butter. Be sure not to overheat this mixture. Low and slow is the way to go. You do not want to boil or burn the chocolate or you will have to discard and start over. Once the chocolate and butter are melted together, set the mixture aside to cool.

Step 3—Mix the batter:
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs. Stop the mixer and measure in the buttermilk, oil, sugars, and vanilla. Also add the coffee (with the cocoa already mixed in) and the melted and cooled butter and chocolate. Blend these ingredients until smooth. Stop the mixture and add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Blend well. Finally add the flour. Beat the mixture well for a good two minutes. Your batter will be thin.

Step 4—Bake:
Pour this batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with no wet batter clinging to it (just moist crumbs). See Luther’s “Chef Tip” below for proper cooling and de-panning. Then frost with his Special Chocolate Frosting for this cake (recipe follows this one).

LUTHER’S CHEF TIP:
Would you like to avoid cake layers cracking, crumbling, sticking to the plate, or breaking on you? For foolproof cooling and de-panning of any cake, be sure to keep your cake layers in the pan for one full hour before removing. To de-pan, run a butter knife around the edges to release. Then cover a plate with plastic wrap, place the plate firmly over the top of the cake pan and flip both over. Remove the pan and gently peel off the layer of parchment paper on the bottom of the cake. Wrap the cake layer in the plastic and place it in the freezer for at least one hour. Repeat with the second layer. Now the cake layers are ready for you to frost.